The high-lift
features of the design give the STOL CH 801 its excellent short
take-off and landing capability. The four-seat STOL CH 801 was
designed to provide excellent STOL performance without the need
for excessive power: Overpowering an existing aircraft is the easiest way to achieve short take-off performance (with enough power
anything will take-off in a short distance!), but this requires a lot of fuel for acceptable
endurance, and is an expensive, heavy, and inefficient way to obtain STOL performance, and does not provide good slow flight or
payload due to the heavier engine weight and fuel load requirement.

While all aircraft are designed within certain power
and engine weight guidelines, Chris Heintz does not
design his aircraft "around" a particular engine - to maximize the customer's choice of installed powerplant.
Recommended power for the STOL CH 801 is 150 to 220 horsepower, up to
400 lbs. installed
weight.

That said, designer Heintz
recommends the O-360 engine as the standard powerplant for the STOL CH
801: "The O-360 is very proven, dependable and readily
available," Heintz stated. "While the initial purchase
price is significant, the price actually compares very favorably with
other engines when factoring in the long life of
the engine."

Over the past 65 years, Lycoming has produced more
than 260,000 piston aircraft engines. With a reputation for performance and
reliability, Lycoming piston engines power more than 85% of the new general aviation
aircraft produced worldwide.

The popular Lycoming O-360 (180-hp) engine is the standard
powerplant for the STOL CH 801, with a full firewall-forward installation kit
available for the basic O-360-A4M engine installation.

The XP-360 engine uses the same
firewall-forward installation as the Lycoming O-360.

Regarding alternative
engines for the STOL CH 801 designer Chris Heintz has stated:
"I've designed the STOL CH 801 to be suitable for different engine types,
including auto-conversions. Operators in remote parts of the world may want an engine that will take
automotive fuel and they want spare parts availability. Additionally, many modern
automotive conversions minimize the engine cost and fuel consumption, while maximizing
performance thanks to lighter engine weights."

Most custom engine installations require a lot of work and
often "troubleshooting" to properly install, and may not provide the expected performance and reliability.
Designed as a sport utility kit aircraft,
top speed of the STOL CH 801 is limited by its high-lift design
features, and more power will not yield significant top speed gains.

Zenith Aircraft Company
stocks engine mounts and accessories for some other engine types but does not provide support for such installations.

The above
resources are provided for informational purposes only. Alternative
engines will affect performance, specifications and flight characteristics
of the aircraft. Also, the weight and balance of the aircraft may be
adversely affected by alternative engines, and the original fuel system
may not be adequate or suitable for some engines. Most alternative engines
will require a custom engine mount and engine cowl. Zenith Aircraft
Company does not manufacture or directly support engines nor their
installation.